Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-11-25

/ SERIES FOR THE WEEK OF PRAYEK-A
LARGE ATTENDANCE-sTATE sECRE-
TARY Il. 0. WILLIAMS PREsENT-A
HOUSE FULL OF FRIENDS.
&C., &C., sc.
Whatever else in Staunton may fail to
draw a large house, the Union meetings of
the Young Mems Christian ASSOCIATE on
are always a success. Ministers of dis
tin ction, reviyalists of wide fame may be
greeted by moderate sized audiences. but
it always takes spacious room to bold
the people who crowd to the Union meet
ings of the Z. M. e. A. Last week-the
Week OF Prayer-the Association held
meetings nightly in its own room, for
men only" at which those who attended
became SO deeply interested that during
/ the series some 0thirty or forty persons
rose to ask for prayer in their own behalf
or that of relatives or friends. On Sunday
night, for the closing and Union" meet
ing larger nee was necessary and the
First Presbyterian church was secured.
The crowd was very large, every available
seat in the main audience room being oc-
cupied.
The meeting was led by Mr.. H. M. Nc
Ilhany of this city. a member of the 7. M.
G. A. State Executive Committee. He
read the 9th Chapter of Galatians and
selected as The topic of his comments the
bearing of each others burdens. He said
that in this divine injunction was contain
ed the pith Of the obJec5 Of Young Mems
Christian Associations. They assumed to
each other the position of aiding one an
other to bear their burdens; they assumed
TO the churches the position OF aiding
them to bear their burdens. and to the
world they offered to aid it and make its
burden lighter. 1t was in this light that
the Associations were held'oy the public,
and it was in this light that they found
their Justification in appealing to the pub
lie for sympathy and aid.
State Secretary IL. O. Williams Of Rich
mond, then followed in a characteristic
and deeply Interesting address. To give
his audience an idel of the sizs and ex-
tent Of the Y. NJ. G. Associations of the
world, he said he would take two of those
esent on an i'm aginarv tour Of It's field
of WORK. They would go first to London,
the birth place OF the work and the home
of its founder. George Williams, a wealthy
dry goods merchant still living there, and
who fortythree Years ago com nenc3d the
work among his fellow clsrk5. Beginning
| at Exeter Hall in that ci5y, the NJ )ther
| Associ alton, the speaker took his imagiua-
~ companions 10 Scotland, Ireland, all
tue countries of the old world, and showed
the powerful organization of the Associa-
tions and the great work they vera doing,
and then through America, which he
showed was not balnd IN the work.
He gave some striking Instances of the
Individual good that may result from this
vide spread net OF Associations covering
every quarter of the earth. One was
through Secretary from Australia. who
the S5aunton delegates had met at the In
ternational Convention of Associations
held at Baltimore some years ago when Mr..
Moody was there. At that convention was
Mr. George Marsh, the General secretary
OF the Melbourne, Australia Association.
Marsh before taking ship for homo accep-
ted an invitation to SPEAK before the Syrs-
cuse, N. Y. Association. w bile in that
city he received a note from lady of
wealth. and prominence in social life
there a.king him to Call On her on a mat
ter THAT came within the scope of the As
ISOLATION work. He called and Was told
tdat she had son. wild and reckless
boy who had long since gone into dis
reputable life and left his home She had,
some reason to believe that he was now in
Melbourne, and she asked that the indu-
ence Of the Association there be given to-
retaining him. The Secretary promised
that all in the power of bis Association
should bs be done. When he reached Mel,
bourne search Was N aie for the castayay
and he W IS found ia one OF the lowest
divesi that city. The members of the
Association commenced throwing their
individual Influence around him. and at
last he Was gotten TO attend their meet
ings and frequent thsr hail. In six
months he protested Christ, and soon re-
turned TO Syracuse, where ia is now one
OF the most respected men Of the commu-
nity.
Another case cited by Mr. Williams
was an explanation of the existence of
Young Mens Christian Associations in
Sweden to-day, and an illustration of
how personal work by ourselves begets
personal work in others, and what great
results it may accomplish. In Chicago
while Mr.. Moody was holding series
of his meetings, young Swede who hard
ly spoke enough English to communicate
with people. was induced to come in
Though he could hardly understand what.
was said, he caught the spirit of the meet
ing. After it was over he came up and,
through an interpreter told of his state Of
mind and asked the question, 'sWbat cam
do 7" Mr.. Moody replied that there
was one thing he could do if there were
nothing else. and that Was to stand IN
front OF the ball and hand the circulars
announcing the meetings,to people as they
passed. He gladly undertook it. That
was thu beginning of lifelong work on
his part. He became an enthusiastic As
ISOLATION worker, and when in few wears
he went back to Sweden he started the
work there. There are now seventeen
Associations in Sweden which sprang in
directly from the simple act of reckoning
this man, who couldn't speak English,
into meeting where Gods work was
being done.
Mr.. Williams spoke of the number of Y.
NJ. q. A. buildings that now exist all over
the woodland gave a history of the build
lngs erected, or being erected in his OWN